A contact for a connection box, in particular for a solar-panel connection box, is normally inserted into a holder in a compartment formed by the connection box and has a contact part that interconnects a first cable and a second cable. The contact is secured by an insulation crimp ring on the electrically insulated outer sheath of the second cable. The second cable also has a strain-relief arrangement in for securing it solidly in the box. This is more fully described in jointly filed and copending applications (atty's 24465 and 24466) whose disclosures are herewith incorporated by reference.
A connection box of this type is known from DE 8 422 774, in which the feed cable is inserted in a groove and is held by a screw-on web to relieve strain in the connection box.
It is also known to provide the side wall of the base that delimits the compartment with threaded sleeves that have crimp tongues. After the feed cable is routed through the threaded sleeve and the wall cutout into the compartment, a nut is screwed onto the threaded sleeve to clamp the tongues against the insulation sheath of the feed cable and thus hold it while relieving strain in the connection box.
Inserting cables for strain relief in a nonstraight groove is also known, which is not possible with the feed cables for solar panels because of their rigidity, however.
The above-described prior art has two disadvantages: On the one hand, separate work steps which are difficult to automate are necessary for the strain-relieving fixing of the feed cable. On the other hand, separate components are necessary to provide a strain-relief arrangement. In view of the rising cost pressure in the manufacturing of the connection boxes of this type, improvements in this regard are needed.
Another solution is known in which contact crimped onto an end of the feed cable is a component of the strain-relief arrangement. The contact is fastened using an insulation crimp ring onto the feed cable. The section of the feed cable provided with insulation crimp ring is inserted in a compartment, implemented by the base of the connection box, to relieve strain.
This strain-relief arrangement works quite well but does not meet a US testing norm for strain reliefs, for example. Specifically, it is stipulated according to this norm that the contact for connection to the connection box of the panel-output cable cannot be a component of the strain-relief arrangement. As a result, according to the testing specification, the feed cable is cut through behind the contact here and the strain-relief testing is then performed. In the above-mentioned example, in which the insulation crimp ring is a component of the contact, this testing routine prevents the strain-relief arrangement from functioning as intended, so the test is failed.